MANGO FESTIVAL-2018 (14-15-16 July)

Organized by:

• Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan

• Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan

• Mango Research Institute, Multan

• District Administration, Multan Collaboration:

• Mango Industry

• South Punjab Agriculture Forum

• Mango Research and Development Board

• Department of Agriculture Extension, Multan Venue:

• Shahjahan Banquet Hall, Eid Gah Chowk, Multan

Sponsors:

• Pakistan Crop Protection Association

• USAID fund Agri. Marketing Development (AMD) Project

• (PARB), Lahore

• Volka Foods International, Multan

• Suncrop Group, Multan

• Fatima Fertilizer Company

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Mango Festival 2018 (14-15-16 July)

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CONTENTS

Sr. No.

Title Page No.

1 Executive Summary 02

2 Introduction 03

3 Theme and Objectives 04

4 Inaugural Ceremony 05

5 Inaugural Session and Mango Stakeholder Discussion 05

6 Australian Alumni Meet 06

6 Festivity Activities 14

7 Closing Ceremony 17

8 Conclusion 20

9 Annexures 21

9.1 Details of Stalls, Stakeholders and Products 14

9.2 Participants 19

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The MNS University of Agriculture, Multan, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Mango Research Institute, Multan and the District Administration, Multan jointly organized 3rd

Annual Mango Festival from 14th to 16th July, 2018 in collaboration with the Mango Industry. The theme of the festival was showcasing Diversity, Potential and Value in Mango Sector and to brand Multan as “the Mango Capital”. The stakeholders including political leadership, academia, researchers, Government Officials, Australian High Commissioner and USAID together with mango growers, traders, exporters, input suppliers and service providers participated in this event. An overwhelming public response was received owing to highly attractive entertaining and business activities. Her Excellency Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan inaugurated the Mango Festival on 14th July. A mango stakeholder discussion followed by inaugural ceremony session was also held to discuss about technical issues being faced by the mango industry. Various mango festivity activities including games, kids mango eating competition, musical chair for kids, entertainment, face painting, mango walk, cultural walk and mango drawing, puppet show, camel dance, magic show, jokers, traditional drum beating (Dhol) were also part of the entertainment activities. The students of MNS-UAM and BZU, Multan organized various performances e.g. dramas/skits, songs, dance, tablos etc. A competition on ‘Mango Dish Making’ was also organized wherein students from different educational institutes, house-wives and restaurants’ staff participated and made multiple mango dishes with unique recipes. A ‘Qoumi Yakjehti Mushaira’ was part of the day’s activities, which was well received by the audience. The event was open for local communities and families to visit the exhibition and get information on different mango varieties and participate/attend the festivity activities. The closing ceremony of the mango festival was held on 16th July, 2018. The Caretaker Minister for Agriculture, Food, Planning and Development, Punjab, Honorable Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan was the chief guest of the closing ceremony. Overall, this event provided a valuable opportunity for awareness, branding and networking in mango production, supply and value chains. The stakeholders of mango industry were brought together across the country and discussions were made to overcome prevailing challenges, identify crucial gaps and explore options to improve the value and net income of the supply chain partners. More than 100 indigenous and exotic mango cultivars being grown in Southern Punjab region were displayed. About 50 stakeholders including growers, exporters, processors, nursery owners, fertilizer companies/dealers, pesticide companies, banks and several other organizations/firms etc. displayed their products on stalls.

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Approximately, more than 50,000 people visited and participated in the festival. Such an overwhelming response and involvement in the Mango Festival from mango stakeholders, governmental officials, foreigners and the local community demands continuity of the festival in future. 2. INTRODUCTION Mango is a popular, highly nutritive and commercial fruit. It has won the global title ‘King of Fruits’ due to its excellent flavor, delicious taste and significant market demand. Its pulp is a rich source of vitamins A and C along with proteins, sugars, organic acids, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates and minerals. Pakistan ranks the 6th largest mango producing country in the world. Mango industry is the second major fruit industry of Pakistan, covering an area of 171.7 thousand hectares with annual production of 1.72 million tones. Over 300 mango cultivars are grown in the country with Sindhri, S.B. Chaunsa, Dusehri, Anwar Ratole, Langra, Malda, Fajri, SufaidChaunsa, Kala Chaunsa and Rotole-12 being the major cultivars. Currently, the mango industry of Pakistan is passing through a transformational phase where a shift is being observed from traditional to improved practices, especially at production and postharvest levels as well as in export sector. Several interventions have occurred in the mango industry of Pakistan as a result of awareness, R&D and technical support rendered to the industry by various national and international projects. Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan in collaboration with the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (BZU), Mango Research Institute (MRI), Multan and District Government Multan organized a three-day mango festival under the theme “Multan: The Mango Capital” from 14-16 July, 2018 at Shahjahan Banquet Hall, Eid Gah Chowk, Multan. Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, VC, MNS-UAM, Prof. Dr. Tahir Amin, VC, BZU Multan, Mr. Allah Bakhsh, Director, MRI Multan and Mr. Zahid Sohail, Deputy Commissioner Multan, were the Chief Organizers of this festival. Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Caretaker Minister for Agriculture, Food, Planning and Development, Punjab and Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High commissioner to Pakistan., Prof. Dr. Aamir Ijaz VC MNS-UET Multan, Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan Ex-VC UAF, Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad Rajwana, Pro-VC MNS-UAM, Dr. Abid Mehmood DG Agriculture Research, Syed Zafaryab Haider DG Agriculture Extension, Dr. Sheikh Saeed Director ORIC BZU Multan, Dr. Amir Nawaz Ch. Khalid Mehmood, Dr. Hameed Ullah, Malik Farooq, Zahid Hussain Gardezi, Major Tariq Khan, Prof. Dr. Shafqat Saeed, Prof. Dr. Irfan Ahmed Baig and Dr. Muhammad Amin graced the occasion with their presence.

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3. THEME AND OBJECTIVES The theme of the festival was to showcase diversity, potential and value in mango sector and to brand Multan as ‘the mango capital’. The key objectives included:

1. Bringing together the industry, researchers, academia, extension and government to exchange ideas and share their relevant experiences in the sector

2. Creating awareness among stakeholders regarding the issues prevailing in mango

sector including domestic and export businesses with a special focus on value addition through quality packaging and improve processing

3. Understanding the current scenario and future prospects of mango industry.

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4. INAUGURATION Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High commissioner to Pakistan inaugurated the Mango Festival on July 14, 2018 followed by a cake cutting ceremony along with Prof. Dr. Asif Ali. After the inauguration, the participants visited different stalls at the festival. The honourable Chief Guest expressed keen interest at each stall and obtained necessary information from mango growers and exporters. All distinguished guests appreciated the efforts made by the organizers of the festival.

5. INAUGURAL SESSION AND MANGO STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS In his welcome address, the Pro-Vice Chancellor MNS-UAM, Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq A. Rajwana expressed his profound gratitude to all the guests, stakeholders, representatives of provincial and federal governments and the organizers. He also highlighted the purpose and expected outcomes of the event. He stated that Pakistani mango is unique in its taste and aroma, therefore, substantial foreign exchange can be earned by improving mango productivity through adoption of modernized pre and postharvest management. The Australian Ambassador to Pakistan, Ms. Margaret Adamson expressed her sincere gratitude to MNS-UAM for organizing such a delightful event. While speaking on the occasion, Ms. Adamson said that whenever she visited Pakistan, a country of love and peace, the only thing that came to her mind were the tasty and delicious mangoes. She praised mangoes from Multan for their delicious flavor which is second to none. She said: "I am highly impressed with cultural heritage, hospitality, innocence, and love to guests". She desired that educational and research collaboration needs to be extended between Pakistan and Australia. Both countries have strong linkages in the agriculture sector and several projects of mutual interest have been started under the umbrella of ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research). She announced that more joint

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ventures with MNS-UAM would be launched in near future. She also pointed out that more initiatives are required to boost the export of Pakistani mangoes. Mr. Zahid Hussain Gardezi (Progressive Mango Grower from Multan) regarded it as the most important day in the history of Multan. He acknowledged the dedicated efforts and enthusiasm of mango growers who made Multan "The Mango Capital". He delivered a comprehensive talk covering historical aspects of mango cultivation and industry in Pakistan. He said that mango has played a vital role in developing diplomatic relationships between India and Pakistan. On several occasions, mango gifts have been exchanged to relieve the tension between two nations. Major Tariq Khan (Progressive Mango Grower and exporter from Multan) delivered a thought provoking lecture on challenges and the way forward regarding mango fruit exports. He pointed out bottlenecks in mango marketing and export and suggested different options to overcome the challenges.

6.Australian Alumni Meet

An Australian Alumni Meet was held on July 15, 2018 at Ramada Hotel, Multan to discuss the water policy issues and its implications to South Punjab. The list of participants of the session is as follows;

1. H. E. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner 2. Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor MNS University of Agriculture Multan 3. Dr. Abid Mahmood, DGA (Research) 4. Prof. Dr. Irfan Ahmad Baig, MNS University of Agriculture Multan 5. Mr. Faizan ul Hassan, Director PCRWR 6. Ms. Nadia Jabeen, PCRWR 7. Ms. Bareerah Fatima, PCRWR

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8. Mr. Adnan Hakeem, GIZ 9. Dr. Muhammad Musa, AARI Faisalabad 10. Mr. Iftikhar Haider Warraich, AARI Faisalabad 11. Dr. Shafqat Ejaz, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan 12. Dr. Aamir Nawaz, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan 13. Dr. Sajjad Hussain, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan 14. Mr. Rashid Ali, Agriculture Department, Punjab 15. Mr. Asif Mahmood, MNS University of Agriculture Multan 16. Mr. Allah Bakhsh, Mango Research Institute, Multan 17. Mr. Naveed Asmat Kahlon, Agriculture Department, Punjab 18. Dr. Saghir Ahmad, Cotton Research Institute, Multan 19. Dr. Ghulam Mahboob Subhani AARI, Faisalabad 20. Malik Jahanzeb, Progressive Mango Grower 21. Mr. Qaiser Mahmood, Multan Chamber of Commerce 22. Engr. Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, Irrigation Department, Punjab 23. Engr. Zaffar Ullah Sindhu, Agriculture Water Management 24. Dr. Azra Yasmeen, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan

Prof. Dr. Asif Ali initiated the discussion and elaborated that Pakistan is facing severe water shortage and situation is getting worse with the passage of time. The surface water has declined from 5,260 cubic meters per capita in 1951 to around 1,000 cubic meters in 2016. Changing climatic scenarios are also reflecting high erratic rainfall patterns, increased glaciers melting, smog, heat waves and danger of floods, which are ultimately threatening the long-term water availability.

He further emphasized that South Punjab is a region with a population of around 36 million, but has poor infrastructure, weak social service institutions and high rate of poverty as compared to other parts of the province, despite the fact that the region is contributing significantly in cotton, wheat, sugarcane, beans and mango production in the country. Further, it is facing severe shortage of agricultural and drinking water.

Dr. Abid Mahmood, Director General Research, highlighted that olive and grapes production should be focused to tackle the issue of water shortage. Water rights are well defined between the provinces under the Water Accord 1991. However, controversies arise in its interpretation and implementation. All citizens have an equitable right of access to clean water and sanitation facilities. There should be an acceptable mechanism for conflict resolution of water issues at different levels. He further argued that there is stress for weed management in pulses. Moreover, there is a strong need for development of pastures and new avenues for collaboration should be framed. The house endorsed the points raised by Dr. Abid Mahmood.

Mr. Faizan ul Hassan, Director PCRWR highlighted the issues related to policy framework, financial obligations, water regulatory affairs and water quality. He emphasized that there should be comprehensive water policy and financial commitments for considerable water flow from rivers to farm gate. The slogan should be “More crop per drop of water”. He remarked that each province should have a water regulatory authority, which should design and implement water policy framework (framework for action) in consultation with all provincial stakeholders. Under the Indus Water Treaty (1960), we

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have surrendered three eastern rivers. Now India has built dams on the western rivers and we don’t have water for sustainable agriculture in the country. Further, climate change is severely affecting agriculture and water availability. He urged that water quality issues should be resolved and we should move to climate smart irrigation. The house agreed on the issues that he raised.

Engr. Zafar Ullah Sindhu said that on-farm water management should be linked with universities and other research organizations to acquire fruitful results. The canal irrigation efficiency is around 33 percent and irrigated agriculture constitutes 90 percent of Pakistan’s food requirements. There is a need for efficient water utilization, conservation and demand management in all sectors. Improving water efficiency from 33 percent to 45 percent will bring additional 5 MAF of water. Also, it is the need of the hour to invest in infrastructure development and framing laws for groundwater management, its usage and conservation. This will enhance surface water availability and avoid depletion of ground water.

Dr. Aamir Nawaz from Bahauddin Zakariya University suggested that Green Matrix Index should be developed and a forum should be constituted for handling waste water through academia. Population pressure/ heat/ climate change are part of a complex picture. There should be a proper dietary pattern for water sustainability and there is demand for traditional grains. The chair explained that there are issues of water quality in this heat surplus zone. He suggested that water education should be the top priority for all stakeholders especially for farmers so that they can conserve water at farm level. There should be a proper mechanism for waste water treatment and utilization, for which policy level interventions are required.

H.E. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan explained the success story of Murray-Darling Basin System that changed Australia’s water scenario. She said that Murray-Darling Basin has two major rivers i.e. Murray and Darling that cover an area of 1 million Kilometers. They cover four states and one capital territory having two million people dependent on its water. The rains, rivers and aquifers of the Basin offer drinking water for the people, as well as water for recreational, urban, industrial and agricultural activity. This basin system fulfills 75 percent irrigation requirements of Australia and contributes about 20 billion Australian Dollars to Australian economy through agriculture. The MDB plan gives a synchronized approach to use water across the basin and is a major breakthrough in the Australian water reforms, harmonizing social, economic and environmental considerations by setting water use to environmentally sustainable level.

She also said that MDB and Indus Basin are comparable to each other as the flow is highly variable. The climate and water flow variability is due to climate change and Australia is well prepared for this as compared to other countries. Indus basin is 46 percent larger than Murray-Darling Basin as glaciers and snow contributes about 50 percent of the total flow, whereas Australia does not have glaciers. Indus basin has high gradient as compared to Murray-Darling Basin which has extremely low gradient. Indus is eight times bigger than Murray-Darling in terms of irrigated area. Indus represents 20 percent of the agricultural production while Murray-Darling represents about 50 percent of the country’s agricultural produce. Two million people live on Murray-Darling Basin and

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Indus Basin has around 180 million population. The similarities in two basin systems are more than the differences.

She offered that the Australian Government can collaborate and share the experiences of Murray-Darling Basin Plan with Pakistan, but the request should be initiated by Pakistan. She also insisted that a consultative session should be held on water issues wherein all major stakeholders like PCRWR, Water Management, Agriculture research, Universities and representative from Australian High Commission would participate. She also noticed that water awareness has been raised among youth. She said that Australia has collaborated with Pakistan in the past under ACIAR, ASLP and AIP projects and would continue to extend the same in future

At the end, the chair concluded that there is an urgent need to initiate dialogue on water insecurity and develop a mechanism like Murray-Darling Basin for effective water management. The house agreed that Pakistan should devise Indus Basin Plan after learning form Murray-Darling Basin Plan to tackle water shortage issues.

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Some Images of the Australian Alumni Meet 2018 at Ramada Hotel, Multan

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7. FESTIVITY ACTIVITIES Festivals act like stress relivers and help us balance our emotions. More positivity naturally lowers negativity. It also provides an opportunity to reduce friction and brings estranged friends and relatives together in a bond of love. A brief account of the activities performed during the Mango Festival 2018 is as follows: 7.1. Mushaira

On the second day of the Mango Festival 2018, a "Qoumi Yakjehti Mushaira" was arranged with the theme:

کہ میری ارض پاک پر اترےخدا کرے

وہ فصل گل جسے اند یشہ زوال نہ ہو Eminent poets from across the country participated in this event that included 0Mumtaz Athar (Multan), Nusrat Siddiqi, Anjum Saleemi (Faisalabad) M. Nadeem Bhabha (Vehari), Nadeem Najid (Khanewal), Haider Farooq (Islamabad), Jabbar Wasif (Rahim Yar Khan), Azhar Firagh (Bahawalpur), Sabir Ali Sabir (Lahore), Afzal Sahir (Lahore), Amad Azhar (Islamabad), Tahira Saraa (Shekhupura), Syed Fazal Gillani ( Multan), Dr. Najma Shaheen Khosa (DG Khan), Mubashar Saeed (Multan), Arshad Abbas Zaki (Multan), Sarfraz Aarish (Multan), Naeem Raza Bhatti (Mandi Bahauddin), Dr. Waqar Khan (Multan), Eman Qaisrani (DG Khan), Shakoor Ahmad Badar (Multan), Dr Sarmad Farogh Arshad and Dr. Ammar Matloob (MNS-UAM). People from different walks of life thronged the hall to enjoy company of their favourite poets at the event.

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7.2. Kids Mango-Eating Competition The mango-eating competition was part of the festivities at the Mango Festival 2018. In order to conduct this competition, kids were divided into the following two age groups;

i) < 5 years ii) 6-9 years

Approximately, more than 50 kids of various ages participated in the competition. The participants attempted to feast upon one mango within the allotted time of one minute. The winners were awarded with chocolates and candies.

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7.3. Musical Chair Musical chair is a game of elimination involving players, chairs, and music, with one fewer chair than players. When the music stops, whichever player fails to land on a chair is eliminated, with a chair then being removed and the process repeated until only one player remains. Participants of the musical chair competition at the Mango Festival 2018, were divided into following three categories:

i) Kids ii) Women iii) Men (University faculty members and agriculture private sector)

Mango fruits (as a gift) were given to the winners.

7.4. Face Painting Paintings have always been adored by people and displayed to serve as stunning decorations. While, face painting for children is now seen as a fun activity at events. In fact, it is often a must-have activity at celebrations today. Therefore, this activity was included in Mango Festival 2018. In this activity water-based face paints were used to draw mango fruit on kids’ faces. Kids of various ages actively participated in this activity and enjoyed a lot. 7.5. Entertainment The students of MNS University of Agriculture, Multan under the umbrella of Senior Tutor Office performed various entertaining activities such as Qawali (Mr. Khawar Ali Khalid), Songs (Mr. Hamza Afzal, Mr. Ubaida Yousaf, Mr. Shaham Qader, Mr. M. Noman, Ms. Mafya & Maryam), Dance Performance (Students from Department of Soil Science), skits

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(Ms. Kaynat Khan & Team, M. Bin Ijaz & Team and students from Emerson College) for amusement of the audience of Mango Festival 2018. 7.6. Mango drawing Drawing plays a significant role in our cognitive development. It can help us learn writing and thinking creatively, develop hand-eye co-ordination, hone analytic skills, and conceptualize ideas. In view thereof, a mango drawing competition was conducted during the Mango Festival 2018. A number of kids from different age group participated in the competition and won prizes of mango fruit.

Puppet show, camel dance, magic show, jokers and traditional drum beating (Dhol) were also part of the entertainment activities. 7.8. Mango Dish Making Competition A mango-based dish making competition was also conducted during the Mango Festival 2018. The completion had two categories i.e. 1) professional 2) non-professional. A total of 30 participants were involved in the competition. Food experts from the Department of Food Science from MNS-UAM and BZU acted as judges. After evaluation of dishes, the winners of both categories were appreciated by the judges and awarded with shields.

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8. CLOSING CEREMONY The closing ceremony of the festival was held on July 16, 2018. The Chief guest of the ceremony was Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Caretaker Minister for Agriculture, Punjab. The other guests who graced the occasion were Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Ex-Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Mr. Asif Majeed, Chief Executive Evyol Group, Mr. Kashan Ahmad, a processor, Ch. Naik Alam, M.D Mango Research and Development Board, Mr. Shahbaz ul Hassan, a representative of USAID, Mr. Ashraf Ansari from Crop Life, Dr. Saeed Akhtar, Director ORIC Bahauddin Zakariya University, Rao Shahid, Chairman Pakistan Cotton Production Association, Mr. Allah Bakhsh, Director MRI and many growers, exporters and industrialist. The ceremony started with recitation from Holly Quran and Naat-e-Rasool (PBUH). The Vice Chancellor, MNSUAM welcomed the Chief guest, Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Ex-Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Director ORIC BZU, Director, Mango Research Institute (MRI) and District Government, Multan, growers, exporters, farmers, industry, academia and public for gracing the occasion. Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Asif Majeed appraised the efforts for organizing the wonderful event of Mango Festival. He appreciated the Vice Chancellor MNSUAM for creating collaboration between public and private sector for development of the agriculture sector. He further stated that South Punjab is the major agriculture commodities producing area and all decisions for the development of agriculture should be made in this region. He further stressed the need to enhance the scope of the event by inviting foreign potential investors so that export of mangoes could be increased. Mr. Kashan Ahmed Ch. a progressive processor, apprised the audience that the popularity of this event is increasing every year and the management of MNSUAM deserved appreciation for organizing such a wonderful event along with festivity. He informed that currently mango is being exported to 22 destinations around the world and scope of its export is enhancing every year. Ch. Naik Alam, MD Mango Research Board acknowledged that overall the event was well-organized, however, it still needs to be strengthened by adding value addition products of mango in the festival because we are still exporting mangoes in a raw form. He urged that next year the Mango Research Board

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should also be a collaborative member of the event. He stated that exporters from big cities should also be invited to the festival. The representative from USAID, Mr. Shahbaz ul Hasan informed that USAID has been playing its role for promoting mango industry in the country since 2010. USAID has provided trainings to farmers, processors and exporters and equipped them with technology of Hot Water Treatment for enhancing mangoes export. Mr. Ashrif Ansai from Crop Life admired the efforts of MNSUAM management for arranging such a marvelous event. He expressed his pleasure on displaying 100 mango varieties in the festival. He suggested that all the growers should exchange the varieties available with them for promotion of all varieties in this region. Moreover, the district government should ensure protection of mango trees while sanctioning NOC for new residential colonies. Dr. Saeed Akhtar, Director ORIC Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan thanked all the stakeholders for making the event successful. He disclosed that he had been associated with agriculture sector since last 20 years, but this was the first time he acknowledged the promotion of this sector and was all due to the efforts of Dr. Asif Ali, VC MNSUAM. He stated that there are a number of challenges for mango industry and government should investigate them. According to him, a large number of people visited the event and enjoyed along with getting useful information about mango and its related industry. Dr. Iqrar Ahmed Khan, Ex Vice Chancellor University of Agriculture, Faisalabad apprised that his first visit to Multan was on a mango show organized by Agriculture Extension Wing of Agriculture Department in 1980 but that was very limited and only few varieties were displayed. According to him, this festival is far better as compared to that one. He said that Dr. Asif has been able to create phenomena of mango in this region. He informed the audience that Sultan Qaboos of Oman has published a world mango Encyclopedia wherein 67 varieties are included in Pakistan’s Chapter. He expressed that till 1990s not much attention was given to mango crop and its related industry as there were only 100 publications including newspaper articles found in literature since 1947 to 1990. He assured that this event would bring a major change in the development of mango industry and would also provide a platform to the mango industry stakeholders for mutual professional networking and collaborative business opportunities in future. At the end, the Chief Guest, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Minister for Agriculture appreciated the management of MNSUAM and other partners for organizing such a wonderful event in Multan. He stated that displaying more than 100 mango verities was a great success for the management. Pakistani mangoes are widely demanded in the world due to their unique taste, color and flavor. Farmers should be helped through research and development. For this purpose, universities could play their vital role. He urged that such type of events should also be organized in big cities especially Islamabad wherein majority of foreigners could participate in the event and could be a source of increasing export of mango. He further pointed out that agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Limiting water now has become a threat for the sector. We should put more emphasis on the water conservation technologies along with construction of small, medium and large dams. He assured that the Government will try its maximum to

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resolve the issue related to all stakeholders of this industry. Afterwards, the Minister for Agriculture distributed shields among the winners of best stall competition, mango dishes competition and other participants in the event. During the concluding session, Muhammad Ali Fruit Farms Shujabad was awarded first position in “Growers Category” for their excellent display of mango varieties during the exhibition. Chanab Fruit Farm, Shujabad and natural Products, Multan Samza Fruit Farms Kabirwala bagged second and third positions, respectively. In “Exporters Category”, first position was awarded to Lutfabad Mango Processing Farm. Kashan and Dhillon Nawab Sarblund Farm stood second and Roomi Food (Pvt) Ltd, Kabirwala remained at third position. A "Mango Dish Making Competition" was also held during the last day of the festival, which was won by Bar BQ Tonight‘s team,while Defence Club and Ramada Hotels Multan teams were the 1st and 2nd runner up, respectively. In Non-Professional Mango Dish Making Competition Category, BZU student Tehreem Tariq bagged the first, while MNSUAM students Iqra Zaheer and Usman grasped 2nd and 3rd positions, respectively. Dr. Sheikh Saeed Akhtar, Prof. Dr. Hammad Nadeem Tahir, Dr. Amir Nawaz Khan, Abdul Ghaffar Grewal, Sajjad Sohail and Muhammad Akram Chauhan served as the judges of the competitions.

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9. CONCLUSION The Mango Festival 2018 brought the academia, researchers, Govt. officials and mango stakeholders under one roof for well-being of mango industry of the country that determines the success of the event. However, this festival can become more effective with the involvement of Govt. of Pakistan. It is suggested to highlight the event at international level and invite international fruit trade companies to the festival from next year onwards. It will help boost the export of Pakistani mangoes to the international markets, thereby resulting in high value earnings.

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10. ANNEXURES

101. List of Stalls

S. No. Mango Growers

1 Dilan Agri Farm

2 Chenab Mango Farm

3 SK Fruit Farm

4 Fraz Fruit Farms

5 Muhammad Farms

6 Joiya Fruit Farm

7 Muzzafar Nagar Farm

8 Muhammad Ali Fruit Farm

9 Kamlana Farms

10 Bukhari Fruit Farms

11 Faiz Mango Fruit Farm

12 Alkarim Mango Fruit Farm

13 Jamali Ftuit Farm

14 Malik Muhammad Saleem Kahor Manogo Farms

15 Samza Fruit Farms

16 Brig. Rtd. Ishaq Ahmad Farms

17 Sial Fruit Farms

18 Bucha Mango Farms

19 Kashan Enterprizes

20 Natural Production Export

21 Roshan Packages Ltd.

22 Lutfabad Farms & HWT Facility Pakistan

23 (EMFP) Govt of Punjab

24 Jam Mango Farm (EMFP) Govt of Punjab

25 Malik Fruit Farm (EMFP) Govt of Punjab

26 Sajjad Fruit Farm (EMFP) Govt of Punjab

Commercial Partners

01 SFA Industries Pvt Ltd

02 TCS Pvt Ltd.

03 Pak Suzuki Motor company

04 Shaikh Khajoo Bhai & Company (Packing)

05 Omore Ice Cream, Engro Foods

06 Cream (taxi Service)

07 US Aid (AMD Project)

Chemical Companies

01 Swat Agri Chemicals

02 Syngenta Pakistan Ltd.

03 FMC United Pakistan

04 Agro Food Processing Fascilites Multan

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05 Suncrop Pesticides

06 Fatima Fertilizer Company

07 Jaffer Agro Services

08 FFC Ltd.

Government Organizations

01 MNSUAM (Cultural Products Iqra Azeem)

02 BZU (Horticulture Department )

03 MRI

04 MNSUAM Horticulture Department